Inigo and Fezzik enter the Zoo of Death and are shocked to find that the door to it is unlocked. This is because Humperdinck created the door only as a false entrance, expecting that anyone who entered through it would not survive the horrible creatures inside. But Inigo and Fezzik know nothing of this—they simply assume the albino had made a mistake. Both men smell the strong odor of animals, and both are terrified at what they might find but comforted by the other's company. In this state, they descend down the five levels.
On level one, they pass swift animals in their cages-cheetahs and hummingbirds. This poses no problem.
On level two, they pass hippos and alligators in cages-still no problem.
On the staircase to level three, the door locks behind them and the lights go out. Both men are spooked, naturally, and this feeling escalates when they are confronted with an Arabian Garstini, the world's most lethal snake, which promptly wraps its coils around the two intruders. Fezzik gasps that the snake is too strong for him, and Inigo murmurs back, "I had such rhymes for you ." Fizzik is outraged at death getting in the way of these rhymes, so he fought away from the coils, killing the snake and saving them both, only to find out that Inigo had lied about the rhymes to save them both. This horrifies Fezzik. They cross, unharmed, through cages of poisonous snakes.
On the staircase to level four, they are mobbed by king bats, a life-long fear of Fezzik's. Inigo, remembering his training on uneven terrain, swishes his sword blindly above him, ridding them of the menacing winged swarm and saving both of their lives. Fezzik then forgives him for the lie on the previous staircase, and the two men rhyme jovially as they cross the fourth level, while passing a blood eagle and what appears to be a giant squid.
On the staircase to level four, they see no threats. Unknown to them, the world's most dangerous spider, the green speckled recluse, lives behind the doorknob to the fifth level. Fezzik panicked suddenly, charged through the door toward the bed where the dead Westley lay, and Inigo stepped on the spider as he followed his friend to examine the corpse.